US tennis star Amanda Anisimova outgunned and outmaneuvered World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win in the semifinal of Wimbledon on Thursday, July 10.
With that, the 23-year-old reached her first Grand Slam final, where she is set to face 5-time Major champion Iga Świątek.
Aryna Sabalenka Addressed One Amanda Anisimova Angered Moment That Impacted Her at Wimbledon
Amid their high-quality three-set encounter, there were a few moments of tension. At one point during the match, Anisimova angered Sabalenka by celebrating a point prematurely. In her post-match press conference, the Belarusian was probed about the controversial moment, which occurred in the second set.
The reporter asked, “She (Anisimova) celebrated before the ball went past you. You looked at the umpire. I just wondered if you thought that was more of a hindrance issue?”
The moment, the World No. 1 said, spurred her on to raise her level and clinch the second set to force a decider.
Sabalenka said, “I was just trying to chase the ball. She was already celebrating it. I was like ‘I mean, that’s a bit too early.’ She kind of p**sed me off, like saying, ‘That’s what she does all the time.’”
“But I was grateful and thankful that she said that because I was like, it actually helped me to keep fighting. I was like ok, now I’m gonna show you the tennis.”
The World No. 1 continued, “I came back because I got really angry in that moment. Probably in the 3rd set I should’ve remembered and probably it would’ve helped. But it is what it is.”
In a match decided by the finest of margins, Anisimova was broken by Sabalenka while serving for the final. Despite the setback, the American broke her opponent in the very next game to seal victory.
What Amanda Anisimova Said After Impressive Win Over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
Anisimova fell outside the top 400 in the world when she took a 7-month hiatus from the sport in 2023 to prioritize mental health.
“You can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself,” she said in her on-court interview after defeating Sabalenka on Thursday.
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She continued, “I think that’s a really special message that I’ve been able to show because when I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game. That was a little hard to digest, because I did want to come back and still achieve a lot and win a Grand Slam one day. Just being able to prove that you can get back to the top if you prioritize yourself.”
Anisimova won her first WTA 1000 title in Doha this February and is guaranteed to make her Top 10 debut next week. With the win on Thursday, the player has extended her head-to-head lead over the Belarusian to 6-3.
Anisimova faces Iga Świątek in Saturday’s final for a chance at her Grand Slam title. It will be the first tour-level meeting between the duo, although they have competed against each other as juniors.
Świątek has scripted a remarkable turnaround this season to reach her first final at Wimbledon. On Thursday, she put on a clinical display to dismantle Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in little over an hour.
The Pole struggled uncharacteristically throughout the clay season and bowed out in the semifinals of the French Open, which has been her favorite hunting ground.
